FARMERS' REGISTER 



237 



as the whole expense of the crop, which will 

 make the cost of ihe potatoes only three cents per 

 bushel. 



The manure I do not take into the account, ex- 

 cept the laborol" getlinor it out, as it is an article 

 that costs the farmer nothing, alihough of the first 

 importance. It may be considered the tribute 

 Vfhich the husbandman must pay back to the soil, 

 as a return lor the bounties received, and without 

 whir;h it will cease to reward his labors. Besides, 

 the f/iiato is (generally planted as a preparatory 

 crop, \o fit the ground for the subsequent crop ol 

 wheat, to which, and the crop still to lollow,the ma- 

 nure shajld be. charged. 



The pr^ce of potatoes in the field last fall was 

 twenty cents per bushel, being higher than usual 

 on account of ihe general short crop. This will 

 irive the very handsome profit of sixty eight dollars 

 /rom one acre of land, after paying all ex|)enses. 



The intelligent farmer, bv comparing the two 

 modes ofculiivalion, will readily see the srcat sav- 

 ing in labor, in that last described, which, il" the 

 crops were merely equal, would be of vast impor- 

 tance : but when we find the crop one quarter 

 greater the advantage of its general adoption 

 would be incalculable. As a preparation for a crop 

 of grain, the next season, the two modes are vet 

 to be tested: but from the statement of JVlr. 

 Whitney, that, although twice well hoed, and 

 although he went over the piece once and pulled 

 up all the weeds he could find, from the wetness 

 of the season it was impossible to keep the weeds 

 down, and many were found to have seeded, I 

 should suppose the piece hoed miiiht be in no 

 better state lor a crop of grain, than the other. 



For the benefit of those farmers who have not 

 yet procured that useful implement, the roller, I 

 will state, that Mr. Whitney doubts whether its 

 use in his experiment was of any advantaire, and 

 that he will dispense with its use, at least in part, 

 the next season. He thinks the potatoes will ex- 

 tend their roots further, and thereby receive great- 

 er advantage from the manure, if the furrow should 

 not be pressed down by the roller. 



It maybe proper to add, that neither of the 

 above described pieces contained an acre ; but the 

 ground was carefully measured, as well as the 

 crop, and an accurate account kept of the labor 

 expended, from which the calculations were made, 

 for the accuracy of which I will hold myself respon- 

 sible. 



I am, sir, very respectfully, 



Your obedient servant, 



Jamks A. Paddock. 

 Crqftsburg, Vt. Jan. 27th, 1840. 



CULTURE OP THE I'EA. 



From tlie Cultivator. 



Mr. E. Bishop, of Washington co. Md., has 

 requested some information on the culture of the 

 pea — *'the best kind for field cultivation — the time 

 of sowing — the quantity ofseed per acre — the best 

 mode of preparing the land — the best mode of 

 harvesting — and the best mode of feeding. 



The pea is one of the most valuable crops grown 

 m the country, not only on account of its own 

 intrinsic worth, but for its use as a preparation for 

 other crops, particularly wheat. In all our wheat 



districts it is therefore extensively cultivated, and 

 here as in England is considered next to the root 

 crops as a preparative lor thai grain. The soil 

 best adapted to the pea is one that is good for 

 wheat, and where that grain is certain, peas may 

 be considered so 'I'he preparation of the soil de- 

 mands nothing peculiar ; it must only be made in 

 good order Ibrse^d, in the manner required for 

 other spring crops, l)y being well ploughed, harrow- 

 ed, and if necessary manured. If manured loo 

 highly, however, the vine or haum is apt to be too 

 abundant, and the pea it.>elfin(t!rior in quantity and 

 quality. lu this as in most other cases too great 

 a growth of vine or straw is incompatible with 

 great crops of pulse or grain. Lime in all coun- 

 tries has been Ibund an essential ingredient of pea 

 or wheat soils : and where it does not naturally 

 exist in them, should be applied previous to at- 

 tempting the culture of these crops. 



The kinds of pea most usually cultivated as a 

 field crop, are the small yellow pea and the mar- 

 rowfat. We prefer the latter; as it is equally 

 ceriain with the other, is excellent for the table as 

 well as for feeding, is as nutritious for animals, 

 and generally more productive. In some situa- 

 tions, or in exhausted soils, the small yellow pea 

 may however be preferable. From thirty to forty 

 bushels per acre is not an uncommon crop, and 

 this highest amount is often exceeded. The 

 quantity of seed required i)er acre may be staled 

 at two and a half bushels, although some use only 

 two, and some put on three bushels per acre. For 

 covering the pea ihe cultivator is a very good im- 

 plement, as it gives them more earth than the 

 harrow and less than the common plough. The 

 ground should be left smooth by the roller or 

 otherwise, as the ease of gathering is greatly de- 

 [)endenl on the state of Ihe surface. 



In harvestinjj the pea some farmers hook them 

 up with a scythe, some rake them by hand with 

 the common hay rake, but the most expeditious 

 method by far is to use the horse- rake in gathering 

 this crop. In whatever way peas are gathered, it 

 is necessary they should be ripe, and of course if 

 very dry at the time, there will be some loss by 

 shelling, but not perhaps more by the horse-rake 

 than by the other methods, and four-fifths of the 

 time required by the two first methods is saved. 

 This, where the land is to be put into wheat, is 

 frequently of great consequence. Once gathered 

 there is no crop so easily thrashed and prepared for 

 market as the pea, and k\v that better reward the 

 cultivator. 



There is no plant cultivated which will bring 

 pigs forward more rapidly than the pea, if the 

 feeding is commenced as soon as the peas begin to 

 harden, and the whole plant is fed out to them. 

 When gathered and hard, two methods of feeding 

 have been adopted, both of which are far prefera- 

 ble to the barbarous practice of giving swine the 

 pea without any preparation. The first is to soak 

 and swell the pea in milk ifit can be had, if not, in 

 water, and feed it to them in that stale. The 

 second is to grind the pea, either alone or with 

 other coarse grain, and fised it to animals in that 

 way. This ispreferable to feeding whole, as in 

 corn or any other food, the finer it is made the 

 more readily it will be assimilated, and in all cases 

 if cooked into pudding the advantage will be 

 decisive. In England where corn cannot bft 

 grown, a mixture of peas and barley is considered 



